


The Displaced Herald

by Isika



Category: Valdemar Series - Mercedes Lackey
Genre: Asexual, Fantasy, Growth, Love, M/M, Magic, Mercedes Lackey, Mind Break, Rape, Romance, Time Jump, Underage Sex, Unrequited Love, Valdemar Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-03
Updated: 2018-03-03
Packaged: 2019-03-26 08:01:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13853457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Isika/pseuds/Isika
Summary: Based on the Valdemar Series by Mercedes Lackey.A mute boy with the uncontrollable ability to hear others peoples thoughts lives a meaningless life in the back of a wagon with many other children. Given up on life he enters Haven for the first time and begins to learn that his ability has a meaning.-----And I know the tags are intense, but things get better I promise.





	The Displaced Herald

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mercedes Lackey](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Mercedes+Lackey).



The Displaced Herald  
A Valdemar Tale

The wagon hit a dip in the road causing the children inside of it to jostle for a moment; actually this road was very rough so the children inside were used to it by now. The tiny clinks of their ankle shackles tapping together rang out over all other noise, reminding them of their currents states. They rocked into each other’s shoulders, but said nothing in complaint.

“I’m hungry…” Well, nearly no complaints. Nykael looked up at the little girl across from him. She had been taken from the town they visited yesterday and had yet to fully grasp her current situation. Sold into child prostitution by her own parents; he supposed not many five year olds could understand that. He had seen so many children come and go out of this wagon over his three long years since being sold; he had been barely six and yet it felt like a life time ago. Not a one ever took it well, always tears, begging for their families, scared and confused. It was to be expected of them; still the slavers never liked the ones that cried.

The girl before him now, with tear lines on her dirty face, was Lila, and she wasn’t taking it as well as he had. He had known his time was coming, though he hadn’t understood it then; but the way his parents had treated and thought about him hinted to its’ outcome. Lila on the other hand was going in and out for crying fits and pleading to be taken home. Those had stopped a few candle marks ago and now she sited quietly, sniffling while she complained of her discomfort.

“Shh girl, or they’ll come back here an’ wallop ye again.” Blair, an older girl of about twelve with thick brown hair, spoke up. Nykael had been in this wagon longer, but Blair was older and had some common sense about her. On top of that she was patient and good at keeping the little ones calm and quite; Lila was just being difficult. Blair had her arm around Lila’s shoulder and was doing her best to be comforting.

In this world though, no amount of ‘shushing’ and gentle embraces could prepare someone for this kind of life. Riding in the back of wagons across the borders in and out of Valdemar, stopping in towns and cities to buy and sell children like animals on market day.

 _I’m so numb to it..._ He thought that to himself as he looked at Lila’s teary hazel eyes. She was pretty, for a five year old, with sunny blond curls. She would be torn apart unless she learned what the rest of them had. Nykael looked around him at the other children. There were other wagons; the child slavers were smart enough to not carry all their ‘merchandise’ in one wagon or on the same road. In this wagon there were nine of them, including him, five girls and four boys. All of them had sullen stony looks on their faces. Nykael though wore the most hardened look of the bunch.

“Where ‘re they…takin’ yus?” Lila continued to sniffle and whimper through her words as she spoke, huddling closer to Blair. The older girl just sighed and looked around; this question caught the attention of everyone in the wagon. All the kids here, besides Blair and Nykael, had only been bought, or stolen, throughout the last few months. They were all scared and questioning, looking for answers that they knew Blair didn’t know; but still they all had hope. A few more months and that would be gone too; leaving nothing but the cold empty pit at the bottom of their stomachs.

 ** _:How the damn should I know that? Don’t ask me that!:_** Her words rang loudly in his mind, for Blair was distressed and didn’t know what to say. The words in her head sounded desperate as she looked about the wagon. Nykael looked up at her through thin strands of his brown hair; never bothering anymore to try to move them out of his face. Blair’s face twitched while her mouth formed a hard line into her expression. Her thoughts were jumbles of half formed sentences, picking through them for the best possible answer.

It was high noon outside, so beams of light shot through the holes in the wagon cover; it was so bright in contrast to the dark inside that you could see dust floating through the light. Seven dirty faces with dull eyes looked to her. While Nykael moved his gaze to stare intently at the wooden floor trying to concentrate on the numbness that he was straining to conjure up to drown out Blair’s thoughts.

“I don’ know little ones. I’m sorry, I wish I knew.” Her voice held so much regret and sadness in it, wishing she had answers to give them. She sucked in her bottom lip and chewed on it softly.

Her lack of an answer set out streams of worry in all the children’s minds; each one thinking something more depressing then the other. All of it hit him like a white blur of pain of an ongoing headache.

**_:I want to go home. I miss my mom. I’m scared! Why did they sell me!? Was I a bad kid? I don’t understand. I don’t want to be sold again…they make me do disgusting things. I hope the next time doesn’t hurt so much. Why me!? I hate this. I don’t feel good. What’s going to happen when we stop? I want to die.:_ **

The numbness around his mind dissolved and he sat in the corner listening to everyone’s aching thoughts inside his head. Sweat began to form on his cheeks, neck, and brow while he tired best not to move; his head pounded with the pain of the onslaught of thoughts. The stronger the feelings the harder it was to block them out. Tentatively he raised his hands and pressed them against him temples, shutting his eyes to the blackness as he tried best to let the waves of fear pass over him. Once the other’s started to calm it would be easy to numb himself again.

In honesty, even he was a little frightened as to their next destination. Instead of stopping in towns or inns for a few nights, long enough to make some coin selling a few children; they were moving on the next morning and riding longer into the night. Wherever the slavers were trying to get to they were in a hurry.

“Nykael?” It was Blair’s voice that called to him, breaking the stream of thoughts long enough for his head to clear for a moment. He looked up at her slowly and saw her look of concern. She was often like this to him. They all knew he was mute, most of them speculated that it had come about from some disease or accident. What they didn’t yet realize was that Nykael was strange, that he had strange magic, or what the slavers accused of being magic. Blaire knew however, and she concerned herself with him on an almost suffocating level.

His parents said that he was born different, beyond being mute, that he had always done strange things. Since he was little he always had the expression that he was listening to something, or someone. Voices other than his own were constantly in his head. He could hear his parent’s voices, even when they weren’t talking. He learned not to answer back, with his thoughts, because then they would slowly look over and stare at him as if he wasn’t their child. As if he was dangerous. Once he got older he realized that he must have been sending them his thoughts. He had learned to control that, but even he still slipped from time to time; which is how Blaire found out.

Unlike the slavers or his parents, she didn’t think there was something wrong with him; she wasn’t afraid. She often talked to him of people called Heralds that lived in Valdemar, of which she was born. Magical gifted folk that upheld the laws of Valdemar’s lands. He’d never seen one of these special white guardians on their magical white horses, gifted with talents and abilities beyond understanding. In Karse the elders whispered of demons in the form of white horses. They were feared by the Karsites until Solaris took over as leader of the Sun Priests. It was long ago, before his time, but still there were people that refused to change and clung to the old stories; his parents had been of such. So what was he to believe? Was he some evil creature as the old stories told, or a gifted unchosen Herald as Blair persisted?

 _How can I be something I know I’m not? I wish she would just leave me be to my headaches._ The numbness was the only thing that helped block out the thoughts of others, even if it didn’t fully work, it helped ease him a bit. Long enough to catch a few candle marks of sleep while he tried best to close himself to the rest of the world and its loudness.

He wished he could block it all out forever. The prostitution wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t for having to endure his customers’ thoughts. It was thanks to this _gift_ that Nykael had grown up more mature then most children. Learning the cruelty of man through their most truest and private moments. Words spoken out loud could lie, but in the secretive time with your own mind people did not. His parents had tried, once they caught on to what their child could really do, but it didn’t help. In dreams people thought; and when they felt he was far enough away they whispered about the evil they feared possessed their only son. They despised him so much they entertained the idea of drowning him or smothering him while he slept. Stuff they never said to his face, but they thought it enough times.

Then once he was sold to the slavers he became fully aware that the world was mostly full of disgusting people. He could still remember the first man he was forced the lie with. How disgusting his mind had been. It was what the man fantasized about doing to Nykael’s six year old body that made him feel the most unclean after it was over; and every single person that came after was the same. Their minds were all nothing but a pissed in ditch full of vulgar images of how they would have their way with him. Even now, after nearly three years of torment, he still sometimes cringed at the pure crudeness of what people could think to themselves. If he could just learn to block it all out he could live like this. His body was already so used to it by now that he doubted he could ever live any other life.

 _I’m no longer suited for decent living. I’m too damn depressing and far too cynical to ever dream of a life beyond this wagon. Her notions of me becoming some flashy Herald are nothing but kind words; and mostly I think they’re for her own sake._ Nykael gave an inner sigh and looked back over at Blair. She had that far off look on her face again, she must be day dreaming now; no longer worrying over silly things like his wellbeing. Blair often did this, looking off into a distant life that she longed for. She still rubbed softly on Lila’s arm ideally, Lila now had her eyes closed and seemed to be nodding off.

It was a wonder she could still do that. Blair wasn’t sold into this like he had been; she actually had been kidnapped off the streets. From the way she talked about wanting to go home she must have come from a decent life. Nykael figured that she probably had nice parents waiting for her back home. She never spoke of it, but Nykael knew she was serious about someday escaping from all this.  
The slaver who was driving the wagon called the horses to a stop as they pulled off into the grass. This meant a quick break to relive themselves and whatever bit of food they had on them would be offered up for a bit to eat. They didn’t stop often so they were all up on their feet and ready to hop out before the slaver even directed them to.

“Aright’ ye gerout b‘fore ‘E thruw ye out.” It went without saying; most of the kids had already shuffled to the tree line and were reliving themselves. The salver, an older man with dirty skin and greasy hair, pulled the curtain apart just enough to look in the back. Nykael knew his name, Ward, but refused to think of him as anything more than a slaver. Ward was an old hand at kidnapping and prostituting children and Nykael was his precious prize. It had been he who had been the one to make the deal with his parents; so they were well acquainted with each other by now. A kid that couldn’t speak couldn’t yell or complain. “Blair, ye feedin’ th’ horses, an’ wotterin’ em’.” Ward motioned lazily at the water barrel and bucket.

Ward wasn’t a nice man by any means. Nykael and Blair both had their share of beatings and scars from being struck with a stick, or whatever happened to be nearest Ward at the time. It wasn’t uncommon for him to take pleasure in their forced servitude either. Blair was the one he most went to for that need. Ward’s mind, with its’ layers and layers of filth and slim, caused Nykael to shiver most uncomfortably. Since he was always around Nykael couldn’t block it all out either.

Blair took the top off the barrel and scooped out water for the horses, as well as grabbing the grain sack. While she did that Nykael opened the food pack and began handing out stale bread and bits of fruit. There was a wooden cup that they all took turns using to get water out of the barrel. The fruit was actually a surprise, they usually didn’t get anything more than bread and some greasy soup, which was nothing but scrapings watered down.

Once he did his part Nykael gingerly munched on his bit of apple to savor it before inhaling the dry bread. The water was warm from the heat, but it did its job to wet his tongue and throat. None of the kids spoke saves for a few comments here and there to each other. They all sat in the shade of the wagon, the grass was cool here and it was nice to have some fresh air while they weren’t being tossed around on a bumpy road.

The outside calmed his mind and the foreign thoughts floating in his head didn’t pain him nearly as much. Some children thought of escaping now while they were stopped. It was a common enough idea, but the shackles on their ankles hindered any movement past a small shuffle. Those that did try didn’t make it far and were rewarded with a harsh beating. Nykael had seen more kids then he cared to remember die from those beatings. He had even been on the receiving end of one not long after he had been sold. It had been a harsh lesson and an even harsher realization of reality.

That seemed like such a long, long time ago now. His mind gave a dark, sarcastic, laugh at the thought that he was sort of an old hand at this now. Child prostitution wasn’t something you got used to, but he never forgot that this was his life now.

After eating Nykael walked to the edge of the woods to do his business.  _Blair should be done with the horses by now._ Once he thought of her he was able to catch the feel of her mind, it came across as depressed, or annoyed was a better word for it.

 ** _:How long am I going to have to seat here, I’m hungry too you slimy greasball.:_ ** Looking over his shoulder he saw her sitting next to Wade at the front of the wagon. Wade had one hand down her shirt as he ate whatever slop he conjured up as edible food. Blair looked bored, it wasn’t as if she wasn’t used to this by now; she just sat there still as stone staring straight ahead of her. Like him Blair had come to terms with her current state in life. Wade probably wouldn’t have sex with her, least not till they stopped for the night, and Blair probably knew that too.

Turning his eyes off her he went back to looking up down at the dirt. I suppose it’s a sad thing when someone can say they are used to having their ass and breasts grabbed. He couldn’t feel sad for her, but the thought of someone being sad for her was something else. People looking in on their world felt pity and sadness for them. Someone looking out though, as he was when he looked at this wagon mats, couldn’t exactly feel those kinds of emotions. It wasn’t as if he would trade places with her, nor did he want to. _Maybe it’s just me that’s broken? I bet Blair would trade if it was Lila up there instead._

He felt his mind was too messed up, and it was even worse that he couldn’t figure what was the messed up bits were. He was too filled with other people’s opinions, wants, hopes, fears, that there was no room left for him to feel anything of his own. He had Wade’s perversions, Bair’s dreams, and all the little ones with their strong fears and wants, Nykael didn’t even know which were his own anymore. What his dreams and fears were.

All I know is that I just want this ability to be gone. I want the quietness of my own head for once. Then again, could I really bare to be alone with my own thoughts? I don’t even know what they would be. Looking up he stared out into the thick trees of the forest, with their twisting branches and bright green leaves. That thought alone is a little scary, just how far gone am I?

He heard the relived thoughts from Blair, cursing Ward, and happy to be able to eat. As Nykael turned to walk back to the wagon Ward passed him, as he was now to coming to relieve himself as well. As he walked by Ward reached back and slapped his rear end. This didn’t even move Nykael to wince or startle, it was just…normal.

Blair met up with him at the back of the wagon. The little ones were climbing back into the heated stuffy space, all of them looking as gloomy as before. Lila had set aside a well sized piece of bread and apple for Blair; which she now slid toward her.

“I saved ya some.” She smiled at Blair, who smiled back, giving the little girl a light embrace. It was a sweet moment colored by the dark rank setting of their wagon. As he climbed in Ward pushed up the tail of the wagon and hitched it close. Drawing the wagon cover back down Nykael was the only one you didn’t look out at the world before it all grew dark again.

**Author's Note:**

> This series holds a very special place in my heart. For a long time I've had these OCs running around in my head. I felt the desire to start writing them down. I don't know if this will ever be a full story, but I'm having fun writing it. I hope I can do Mercedes Lackey proud a keep as close to her style as is in my ability. Maybe someday she'll read it. //bushes// Enjoy.


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